This trip, I planned to follow the chic tourist attractions in Chiang Mai that I saw many people go to. I started by searching for information on various websites three months in advance. If I were to go to Chiang Mai for two days and one night, where would I have enough time to go? I got these three places that I could have time to capture images, even though it might not be the best time to capture morning and evening light because it was during the rainy season. The three places are Mae Kampong, Rabeang Dao, and Mon Cham. If there is still time left, I might stop by other places. Since I had time to do my homework, I arranged to book accommodation and a Lion Air promo ticket, as well as an AVIS rental car in advance to shorten the travel time. So I can spend my time traveling to the fullest.

…Departed from Don Mueang Airport at 8:00 am and arrived at Chiang Mai Airport at 9:05 am. Enjoyed the view of the city from the sky and arrived in Chiang Mai in no time. I arranged to pick up a car from Avis, which I had booked for around 900 baht, including full insurance. I had to leave a credit card deposit of 20,000 or 30,000 baht, I'm not sure, but I was surprised that they made the sale and let me sign right away. Normally, they would just authorize a certain amount. But maybe it's their company policy. I picked up the car at 10:00 am and returned it at 10:00 am the next day, but they gave me an extra 4 hours for free, which was great because my flight back was at 4:00 pm. At first I thought I would return the car and rent a motorbike to ride around while I waited for my flight, but now I don't have to.

After picking up the car, I set the GPS to Wat Phra Singh first to pay respects to the Buddha and ask for blessings for my solo trip. After searching for a parking spot for a while, I walked into the temple to pay respects to the Phra Buddha Sihing. Wat Phra Singh is an ancient temple that has been aคู่บ้านคู่เมือง of Chiang Mai since ancient times. It is the spiritual center of the Lanna people. If you visit Chiang Mai, don't miss the opportunity to pay respects to the Buddha and ask for blessings. I love the temples in the north, so I spent quite a long time taking pictures. Wat Phra Singh today is still crowded with Chinese tourists, most of whom come in tour groups, making a lot of noise, which is a unique characteristic that can be seen everywhere in the world.

After leaving Wat Phra Singh, I immediately headed to Mae Kampong village. I had planned to visit Mae Kampong first because it was the closest to the airport. Then I would go back to Mon Cham and stay at Baan Rabeang Dao. The next day, I might drive back and visit some places along the way before catching my flight.

Mae Kampong Village is located in Mae On Subdistrict. From the airport, head towards San Kamphaeng District, then to Mae On Subdistrict. Just a short distance past the Baan Tin Tok Royal Project, you will reach the village. The total distance is approximately 50 kilometers. This small village is nestled in a valley and has only one narrow concrete road leading into it, barely wide enough for two cars to pass.

Upon arriving at the village, I continued driving along the path. I chose to check in at the "Chom Nok Chom Mai" coffee shop, which is located at the very top of the village. The coffee shop is a wooden house with a balcony that offers a panoramic view of the village. It is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The wooden deck, coffee tables that were once school desks, and bamboo hammocks for lounging, combined with the cafe's protruding balcony, are definitely the highlights of this place. The weather that day was a bit muggy, so I ordered a green tea and carrot cake to sit and relax while enjoying the view. If I came during the winter, it would be really cool.

This is just the first stop, and it's already taking this long. I glanced at my watch again, it was already past one in the afternoon. I was planning to drive to the Kew Fin viewpoint, but I had to cancel it. I drove back the same way to see another highlight, which is Mae Kampong Temple, or Wat Kantha Phrueksa Ram, which is located amidst the trees and streams of the mountains. The upper part of the temple, which is next to the village road where we are standing, you can see the old pagoda, the old church, and the assembly hall, which looks like a normal temple. But if you walk a little further and look down, you will see a small church by the stream. The atmosphere is very suitable for meditation.

It didn't take long because I had to hurry to check in at the next point and find something to eat. I came to another famous coffee shop in the village, Baan Him Huai, owned by Uncle Put & Aunt Peng. This shop sells food and also has a homestay. The shop is a 2-story wooden house. The upper floor is the guest room, and the lower floor is a coffee shop decorated in a simple, warm, and comfortable slow-life style. There are small, quiet, and cute corners suitable for relaxing and reading books.


I ordered some local food to eat. There was Gaeng Hang Lay, Nam Prik Ong, and fried eggs. While waiting, I took some pictures. The food looked good. I managed to finish it all, but I had some leftovers because I couldn't stuff myself anymore. I finished with another cup of coffee because I felt like my stomach was full and my eyelids were drooping.

It was already 2:30 pm when I left Mae Kampong. I drove back the same way, intending to stop by the famous Giant Coffee shop, which is built on a tree at the junction leading to Mae Kampong. However, time was tight as I still had to get to Mon Cham. So I immediately drove towards Mae Chaem district. After calculating the time, it seemed that I wouldn't have enough time because the entrance to Chiang Dao is very deep. Driving at night into the forest and mountains without knowing the route could be dangerous. I changed my plan and estimated that it would take about 2 hours to travel from Mae Kampong to Chiang Dao district and then to Baan Rabeang Dao. As I approached the district, I could see the majestic Doi Luang Chiang Dao mountain range standing tall in front of me. It is a mountain that I feel a sense of sacredness and the legend of King Luang Kham Daeng every time I visit.

From the main road to Si Saek intersection, turn right to go to Chiang Dao district. But we will turn left and drive until we reach Wat Tham Chiang Dao. Start from here, turn right and drive along the winding road, passing the Sopsai Huai Pha Tang - Na Lao Forest Protection Unit, passing the starting point of Doi Luang Chiang Dao - Ang Salung. Finally, we arrived at Baan Rabeang Dao in the twilight.

Coordinates of Baan Rabeang Dao: 19.41672, 98.845233


The place I wanted to visit the most was Baan Rabeang Dao, and I didn't want to miss it because it's very difficult to book. It's not easy to book because of the beautiful location, which has a panoramic view of Doi Luang Chiang Dao at close range. This makes the demand for people who want to stay there very high, and the number of rooms is not enough. Therefore, you have to book several months in advance. For this reason, I had to find a time when there were fewer people staying there, which was during the rainy season. And even though it was the rainy season, most of the days from Friday to Sunday were full, so I had to move my stay to a weekday. It took me two days to contact them. From what I had read in reviews, it was because Baan Rabeang Dao doesn't have a phone signal, so I had to keep trying to contact them until I could get through. I booked the accommodation five months in advance, and Baan Rabeang Dao didn't ask for any deposit. I was a little worried that they might forget, but about a week before the trip, they called to confirm my reservation. The accommodation cost 500 baht per person, including dinner and breakfast. I booked the A4 house, which has the best view. It's open and there's nothing to obstruct the view. You can see Doi Luang in its entirety. But now they've built another new house, which is lower down, so this house will be the best. In conclusion, the houses with the best views are A3, A4, and A10, which is the new house. I had the chance to admire the sunlight bathing the mountains for a while before the sky turned dark. The staff brought me a tray of food to eat on the balcony in front of the house. The menu consisted of omelet, clear soup, stir-fried vegetables, and Baan Rabeang Dao's signature spicy chili paste. The food was a bit bland, but the hill tribe chili paste was really spicy. Baan Rabeang Dao doesn't have electricity, so after 8 pm, we used candles. You can ask the staff for them. The weather at night during the rainy season was cool, but not too cold. I ate dinner alone, listening to the sound of cicadas. After a while, I lay down to sleep on the balcony in front of the house. I fell asleep for a while, then got up and went inside to spread out my blanket and slept soundly all night.

I set my alarm for 5 am to wake up and capture the morning light and collect stars before dawn, hoping to see some fog. The light gradually emerged at the foot of the mountain, the darkness slowly faded, but this morning there were quite a lot of clouds, almost no fog. I walked out to the balcony of the restaurant, sat down to eat and took pictures of the view. Guests began to come out for breakfast and enjoy the atmosphere. The morning air was very fresh because it had rained a little before dawn.

Breakfast here will be hot rice porridge with coffee and a view!! You can refill as much as you want.


Let's take a look inside the room. House A4, which I booked, is located behind the check-in counter. Walk to the right, pass the kitchen, and turn left. There will be a path leading down to the house. House A4 will be on the left, A3 on the right, and A10 will be below on the same side as A4. From this angle, it will be the best location for the house. The house will be made of woven bamboo with a tiled roof. Inside the room, there is nothing much. There will be bedding such as mattresses, pillows, and mosquito nets in a simple style. There is a private bathroom, but I must warn you that the water is very cold. There is no water heater.

It took quite a while to capture the images. Today, I had to leave early to get to the next location. I checked out at 7:30 am and went back the same way. I stopped by to pay my respects at the Luang Kham Daeng Shrine, which is located at the starting point of the Doi Luang climb. I stopped to take pictures of Wat Tham Chiang Dao before heading into the district to eat at Chiang Dao's famous Khao Kha Moo restaurant.

After leaving Chiang Dao, head back the way you came and head towards Mae Rim District. Turn right onto Mae Rim-Samoeng Road and drive for about 15 kilometers. Then turn right at Ban Pong intersection and continue driving for another 6 kilometers. This section of the road requires extra caution as it is the entrance to a Hmong village and the road is narrow with only enough space for one car to pass at a time. There are also 2-3 sharp bends before reaching the top of Mon Cham.

Mon Cham is located in the Hmong village of the Nong Hoi Royal Project. Upstairs, there is a 360-degree open view. There are many trees planted by the project to welcome tourists. In addition, looking to the nearby Mon, there are vegetable plots planted by the Royal Project. The sun during the day is especially hot, but there is still some wind to cool it down. I spent some time resting, drinking coffee, and taking pictures. When it was time, I drove back to the city.

On the way back, I drove back to the city to return the car at 2 pm. Looking at the clock, I still had time, so I stopped to take pictures of Wat Pa Dara Phirom, which was on the way back. The temple is peaceful and shady, with the beauty of Lanna art and many valuable items.

After leaving the temple, I rushed back to the city and returned the car almost an hour late. However, Avis did not charge me extra. They are really good. My flight was at 4 pm, so I had time to roughly calculate my expenses.

- Round-trip ticket from Don Mueang to Chiang Mai 780

- Avis car rental 980

- Fuel cost approximately 800

-Accommodation fee at Baan Rabeang Dao 500

- Miscellaneous expenses not exceeding 1000

In summary, the total cost for a 2-day, 1-night trip should not exceed 4,500 baht. However, it is recommended to factor in additional time for potential traffic congestion in Chiang Mai city.

See you again next time, thank you for watching ^^

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